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Board balks at LHS parking plan

Wants to hear from school system first

The Forsyth County parks board has postponed a decision on allowing students from Lambert High School, background, to park at the Old Atlanta Recreation Center across Nichols Road.
- photo by Jim Dean

Alyssa LaRenzie

Updated:
July 29, 2012, 10 a.m.

The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Board isn’t ready to sign off on a parking agreement for Lambert High School students.

The board postponed the issue in a 3-0 vote Thursday night, with two members absent.

Parks director Jerry Kinsey said the group needed “more information” before reviewing the contract that would allow 50 Lambert students to park at the Old Atlanta Recreation Center, which is across Nichols Road from the school.

County Attorney Ken Jarrard said Friday the parks board wants to hear from the school system first before reaching a decision.

On Tuesday, Jarrard had told commissioners that he would like the parks board to ratify the agreement “simply because we’re impacting park assets.”

County commissioners gave approval to the agreement, proposing the cost per parking spot be set at $125 for the school year, for a maximum total of $6,250 annually in revenue to the county.

The 50 spaces are included in the contract, which also contains language holding the county government harmless.

Principal Gary Davison has previously said the proposal to rent spaces to students is aimed at relieving the long waiting list for parking at the school’s crowded lot.

Priority for campus parking, which costs $110, is given to seniors and juniors. Students not selected are placed on a waiting list, Davison said.

The 50 spots at the rec center would open up spots to about a third of wait-listed students, he said.

The school plans to determine which students can purchase the parking spots at the recreation center.